The present invention relates generally to wire making, and specifically to a wire guide housing constructed of an elastomer material in such a manner that a conventional metallic wire guide can be quickly snapped in or out.
Metallic wire guides are well known in the prior art. They are normally constructed of hardened metal for wear resistance, and are usually rigidly secured in a desired position to accurately guide the wire or cable during various processing steps.
One typical prior art method of securing wire guides has been to cement them in metal housings. This and other prior art methods, however, have inherent replacement problems causing excessive machine down time. In addition one specific portion of the wire guide will usually wear out before the rest because of static guide securement. High vibration and noise accompanies the prior art method of securing wire guides, causing machine component fatigue and health problems for machine operators.